Like Mowgli, I took a deep breath, pushed the misty branch of leaves aside, and carried my heavy foot forward, pushing my excited self into the thick mystical African jungle. An oceanic feeling swept over me like a six-foot wave over a smooth rock at the beach. It felt like I was getting the absolute maximum out of life at that moment.
I put my second foot forward and another to tap into the heartbeat of the jungle; I had to get up close and personal with it. It isn’t the kind of experience you can glean from a car or bus window as the scenery rushes past you. No, to really dig into a place, there’s nothing so intimate as a thoughtful walking pace.
Meandering along at a footstep’s speed of the other hikers in front of me, I absorbed the emerald sights, smells, and sounds of the two million-year-old jungle. I fully imbibed the spirit of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and its inhabitants.
The charming mountain town of Nkuringo
Our gorilla trekking group set out from the charming mountain town of Nkuringo, where life slows down to snail pace, and Batwa natives flourish on a kind of poverty that repels modern folk. After a brief stay to acclimate to the altitude, we embarked on our adventure onto the Bwindi forest floors.
We roamed the remote hills southwest of Kampala for the first three days—far from the crowds and civilization. We took trails where we never set sight on another Muzungu or trekking group. The trail was ours alone to share with the drifting jungle breeze and hardy farming folk who eke out their survival amidst the steep hillsides and high valleys of this bewitching mountain land.
These kinds of raw experience that get me actively involved in the land and its inhabitants are what makes traveling worth the money I spend. When I look in the far horizon and see everything unfamiliar and yet inviting, a new life blows into me and I step forward.
Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.
We tested our stamina, hiking many hours a day and traversing mountain passes to hidden sights in the park, all while taking in sweeping vistas of grassy hinterland surrounded by tantalizing misty ridges.
As our muscles grew strong, we also strengthened our spirits in a way that comes from being outside and exploring new lands. Far from cell and Internet range, we were forced to live entirely in the present, fully absorbing our surroundings.
The mystical jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable forest
Finally, we set out to meet our protagonist deep into the mystical jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable forest on day four. We glimpsed our destination through the mystical fog that drifted up the rugged ridge walls, lapping at the trees like dragon’s breath, as we hiked down to the entry point.
The detour up to this point was worth the money and time we spend because it aligned our expectations with what the destination can offer so that we ultimately get to experience the gorilla trekking activity with a balanced mindset.
Seeing the jungle as we approached, the mist would clear for a spell, giving us a brief peek of the primeval forest before once again obscuring her from view.
Stepping into the jungle brought sunshine to my belly, offering a different African jungle mood. We explored the ancient rainforest with bright clarity, imagining the ancient inhabitants’ lives, the animals, flora, fauna, and how, if not interrupted by human activity, we could survive and harbor mystical life for millions of years beyond man’s existence.
A labyrinth of ferns and trees enveloped us in green, and the damp undergrowth under my soaked hiking shoes compelled me to increase my pace and catch up with the rest of the trekking group.
What makes gorilla trekking worth the money is not just seeing the mountain gorillas but the stretched hiking through a labyrinth of growth that you probably have never seen before. The long mind-wandering journeys, smells, seemingly dark trails, and occasional life that springs up unexpectedly from the undergrowth.
“Hush everyone,” the jungle whispered. Or was it the ranger guide? I don’t remember. But all of a sudden, everyone stopped in their tracks. The ranger whispered in the walkie-talkie and, moments later, asked the gorilla trekking group to place their bags where they were standing and only stay with cameras with shutters in silence. That’s when I noticed that we had company. Three rangers in camouflage uniform cladding guns appeared to be seated in bushes around the gorilla trekking group.
Because we were earlier informed that there would be a group of rangers that protects the mountain gorilla family when we showed up, I was glad someone is here to protect my backpack and camera gear. I waved at them with a nod to acknowledge their presence.
The two ranger groups: one with us and another that goes at the break of dawn to find the gorillas and direct our group to their location make the gorilla trekking worth the money. That strategy makes sure everyone who has paid to trek into the jungle finds and sees the mountain gorillas.
Keeping the two groups well-motivated to accommodate us and protecting the creatures from poachers and trail them every day is a costly job. So the price of the permit for gorilla trekking is quite worth the money, don’t you think?
